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A quiet, cool, flower-filled refuge beneath the walls of a medieval fortress: that’s the Hotel Kalehan in Selçuk, near Ephesus.
The name means “fortress (or castle) inn,” and so it is, as you can see from the photo to the right: the medieval fortress atop Ayasoluk Hill, illuminated at night, is a constant presence, floating above the hotel’s garden courtyard and swimming pool.
Rooms at the Kalehan come in a variety of styles and prices, from inexpensive lodgings in the main building to air-conditioned, individually-decorated rooms featuring tub-and-shower combinations (not just showers), small refrigerators and TVs (including CNN and BBC). One special four-bed room is really more like a cottage, perfect for a family.
There are nice little touches, like hair dryers and herbal soaps, and free Wifi Internet access in all the guest rooms, in the lobby and by the pool.
A good buffet Turkish breakfast, included in the rates, features those organic tomatoes and cucumbers, eggs, fresh breads, rolls and cakes, home-style fruit preserves, cereals, creamy home-made Turkish yogurt, the olivesand sultanas (golden raisins) for which the Aegean region is famous, and other treats.
It’s a 6- to 8-minute walk south from the rose-and-oleander-filled gardens of the Kalehan to the center of Selçuk. If you’re a walker, you can hike all the way to the ruins of Ephesus, (4 km, 2.5 mi), stopping at the Temple of Artemis along the way, in about 45 minutes. If not, there are frequent minibuses to take you there.
Hotel Kalehan
Atatürk Caddesi No. 57,
Selçuk, İzmir, Turkey 35920
—by Tom Brosnahan
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